The Women for Expo (WE) Website this week launched this week aiming to collect one million recipes from around the world for Milan Expo 2015.

The food-themed world fair runs May to October next year.

In keeping with Expo's focus on nutrition, food security, sustainable practices and global culinary cultures, people from any continent can upload recipes for moussaka, mincemeat, mousse or other favorite preparations to the Website, which went live Tuesday.

Conceived by the Italian foreign ministry, publisher Alberto Mondadori and the nonprofit Fondazione Arnoldo, the online campaign reaches out through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, where it is possible to post one recipes with the hashtag #unaricettaperlavita. The Website also lays out Women for Expo events and projects, like its "world novel" involving international women writers, a "global creative thinking" project addressing artists and a network dedicated to women entrepreneurs. A formal invitation to Expo was extended to US First Lady Michelle Obama by Milan Mayor Giuliano Pisapia.

Speaking this week at an American Independence Day party organized by the US consulate in Milan, Pisapia said the official invitation was "made from the heart" because of Obama's commitment to "the fight against hunger and food waste" which "are the same as Expo 2015.

"We would thus be happy if she decides to participate together with Barack Obama and the entire family," Pisapia said.

The mayor's invitation follows efforts made by the US ambassador to Italy announced in January to bring the US president's wife to the food-themed world fair. Ambassador John Phillips pointed out that the Universal Exposition, whose theme is "Feeding the Planet. Energy for Life" dovetails with the first lady's concern for promoting healthy eating among children.

Michelle Obama's campaign Let's Move! is focused on tackling an epidemic of childhood obesity in the United States through healthy eating and exercise.

Alitalia and Etihad will provide 100 flights a day to and from Milan during Expo, as they are to be the official airlines of the world fair, the Italian carrier's CEO Gabriele Del Torchio announced this week. United Arab Emirates company Etihad has agreed to buy a 49% stake in the struggling Alitalia and the deal is expected to be completed in the coming months.

An estimated 20 million visitors are expected to attend Expo 2015, of which approximately 7.6 million will travel to Milan by air, with 1.5 million arriving from intercontinental destinations, 3.3 million from international destinations and 2.8 million from within Italy.

Expo's agreement with the airlines will lead to Milan being linked to 866 cities across the globe through 125 direct flights and a further 741 via one-stop connections.

"Expo 2015 will be a remarkable opportunity for Italy," said Del Torchio.

"We could not miss being part of it, and we are very proud that Alitalia and Etihad Airways have been jointly chosen as the Official Global Airline Carriers".